Aquolina Pink Fragrance is a sweet perfume for those women who like sweet perfumes (pink sugar is another word for cotton candy after all), yet there is more than that to it. Liquorice, for example. It’s quite strong since the beginning, and other than with sugar, it also mixes with a floral note that struggles to come out. After five minutes it feels like the sweet and floral sides are imploding into each other, makine the fragrance tip on [...] Read more »
Apres l’ondee Perfume by Guerlain is an iris-based floral, created by Jacques Guerlain himself in 1906. If you have the luck to sample it, don’t miss the opening, because that’s where earth breaks loose after the rain-shower, releasing all sorts of things, and creating an incredible smell that is hard to describe: minty, plastic, warm, fresh, sweaty. At times it’s also indolic (fecal, that is), with the memory of a childhood in the countryside right there (cowshed smell, anyone?). [...] Read more »
I would have sworn this was an old one (the uber-kitsch cap would have looked cool, like, 20 years ago), but it’s actually brand-new and launched in 2012. Perfume Roberto Cavalli opens fresh, and with a certain minty flavour. It will be fairly unquiet all along, however after a couple of minutes, its structure starts to build, with sweet notes first, and then it finally settles down to a warm floral, sprinkled with musky notes. After about 20 [...] Read more »
18 La Lune D&G starts fruity and floral and it will keep the same nature in the heart notes, when the floral side will get richer and more complex. There must be rose somewhere, together with a light tuberose that gives a light but rough earthy touch in the background. It’s all pleasant and the sweet-ish notes coming out of the fruity floral mix are potentially sexy from a close distance. Yet, I’m finding hard to get [...] Read more »
The first five minutes of Antaeus cologne for men scared the bejesus out of me, as the reaction of some spice (coriander, probably), strange dark florals or herbs, and possibly civet as well seemed the prelude to something very close to the smell of crap. Thank goodness it turned out to be just the opening dance of notes, and after five minutes it settled down to a good ole reliable leather. Kouros by YSL comes easily to mind [...] Read more »
Quick review for Un Air D’escapade by Givenchy, very recently launched as an airport exclusive. The opening is muffled and gives out indefinite florals plus citrus notes, with hints of red fruits. There is also a light bitter earthiness in the background, that smudges the innocence of the main notes. After a couple of minutes, the earthy side disappears, and the fragrance settles down to a tropical-sweet, and fresh attitude, with also aquatic notes that come out on [...] Read more »
If you expected a flower bomb from his sister Flowerbomb, you’d be disappointed, but this one will walk the talk. Spicebomb Viktor&Rolf opens with citrus and minty notes, although the balsamic effect is probably a product of the bergamot with the spices. It won’t be long before the spicy bouquet comes out, with different facets spinning around: it’s dirty-peppery, powdery-old, there’s a smell of burnt (not smoked, burnt), body odour, tobacco, leather, and a quite interesting mix of [...] Read more »
Tuberose has a bad reputation in perfumes (and for a reason) as one of the most potentially evil of white flowers. But this Carnal Flower Malle is different. On the skin this perfume by Frederic Malle starts immediately with a balsamic minty greenness, which tames the power of the florals density. This balsamic side is a peculiar, quite unexpected counterpart to the floralcy of tuberose, and it’s almost harsh on the throat. The blotter is way richer. Whereas [...] Read more »